Page 29 of Third Time Lucky

‘And I promise things won’t be as awkward the next time I cook for you, because now I know to serve the wine first,’ he says with a laugh.

‘Ha-ha. And I promise I won’t call you in the middle of the night again while drinking.’

‘Actually, feel free. I enjoyed this. Is that weird?’

‘You enjoy talking women off cliffs after midnight?’

‘Not all women… But you’re welcome to call me at any hour, anytime.’

‘OK… thanks. I guess I’ll see you when I see you,’ I murmur, my words trailing off as the rich, velvety wine begins to weave its gentle spell, clouding my thoughts and pulling me irresistibly toward the comfort of my pillow.

‘Day after tomorrow,’ he says. ‘Sleep tight, Lucy.’

‘Night, Ash.’

9

LUCY

I did it. Against my better judgment and because I was afraid of turning myself into a total liar after claiming to Ash that I had a date, and him reminding me when I drunkenly called him last night, I texted back Tanner (not Tucker – oops) and asked him to meet me at a bar, which is where I am now.

‘What do you do for work?’ Tanner asks.

‘Graphic design. You’re an attorney?’

He nods. Getting words out of this man is like pulling teeth, and I’m tempted to remind him that my eyes are a bit north of where his gaze keeps falling.

‘What kind of law?’

‘Divorce.’

‘Wow. That must be stressful.’

‘Not really,’ he says, knocking back the rest of his drink. ‘I help people get what they deserve.’

‘Interesting way to put it… so you’re a retaliation lawyer?’

He chuckles. ‘I like that.’

Huh. I bet that’s a detail Madi doesn’t know about this guy. He’s a divorce lawyer. Or maybe she did and thought: he hates marriage, he’s the perfect guy for Lucy to joy ride.

‘Did a bad marriage send you that direction?’ I ask.

‘Nope. Just a hopping business. The average length of an American marriage is eight years. So, safe to say people jump into loveless marriages all the time and leap back out practically as fast. I’ve had one client five times, and he’s engagedagain.’

The roll of his eyes tells me he’s not on board with the engagement.

‘But his wedding failures just keep adding to my bank balance, and a guy’s got to make a living.’

How classy.

‘Maybe sixth time’s a charm?’ I suggest.

‘I’ll cross everything for him,’ he says, not sounding serious at all.

He raises a hand, getting the bartender’s attention, then lifts his empty bottle, turning it upside down to prove he needs another.

We sit awkwardly, waiting for his second beer. This place is a dive. The food is greasy. And the drink menu is lacking because they only serve canned and bottled brews and have zero fruity drinks to cloud my mind and help me see past this man’s boring personality.

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